Don’t just meander through life

Good morning everyone,

Our theme for this month: “A new year, a fresh start”

Our Bible verse for today: “Teach us to number our days carefully so that we may develop wisdom in our heart.” Psalm 90:12 (CSB)

Our thought for today: “Don’t just meander through life”

“Meander” means to drift, roam, shuffle along, usually without a clear plan or purpose. It is sometimes referred to as drifting with the tide or being carried along by the currents. When applied to a person it means the person lives life without purpose or direction. They just meander through life.

Those of you who know me, or who have followed my preaching, teaching, or writing for any length of time, you know that I have a favorite quote that I refer to often regarding the value of time and how we use it. It comes from Benjamin Franklin and in modern English it reads: “Do you value your life? Then value your time, because time is the stuff life is made of.”

Your life is made up of seconds, minutes, hours, days, weeks, months, years, and decades. And the thing about time is that once it has passed, you can never have it back. So, if your life is made up of the time the Lord has granted you, and if it is indeed fleeting and irretrievable, then we should be careful and intentional about how we use our time. That was Ben Franklin’s point.

That is also the point being taught by Moses, the writer of Psalm 90. In verse 12 he teaches two important truths. The first is that we are to number our days carefully. In other words, we are to appreciate the value of every day of life the Lord allows us to have. The second truth contained in that verse is that we will be wise if we do give careful thought to how we use our time. In other words, squandering your time is foolish.

Sadly, many people do squander their time. They just meander through the days of their lives without much thought or planning. They just do life. That kind of careless and ambivalent approach to life is unbiblical and therefore sinful. The Bible teaches that life is precious and we are to treat it as such. And that doesn’t just mean protecting life but also living it well and in meaningful ways.

As we set the stage for devotionally thinking about a new year and a fresh start, the mindset with which we approach it will be critical. Therefore, we will devote several days to reorienting our thinking about the value of our time (our life), and how we will use it in 2025.

Let’s not meander through our days just doing life and squandering our time. Instead, let’s be intentional and purposeful as we make the most of it.

God bless,
Pastor Jim

(If you like what you are reading in these daily devotionals, and if you would like more content from Oak Hill Baptist Church, join us on Sundays at 10:00, in-person if you are nearby or, if you are geographically distant or if you just can’t make it, online at www.YouTube.com/@oakhillbaptistcrossville

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